Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace

5 stars for the food and cute atmosphere. 3 stars for the service. I ordered the avocado toast with a side of bacon. The toast is topped with beautiful slices of ripe avocado and a perfectly cooked soft-​boiled egg. This dish has wonderful flavor and is filling without weighing you down. The side of bacon was thick and nicely seasoned.
For some reason, our waiter brought over our cooked items about 5 minutes before the baked goods some of our group had ordered. We sat waiting for the remainder of our order while our food grew cold. I don’t understand what the delay was because we could see the baked items on the counter just behind our table.
Overall, the food was good and I will be back for brunch soon.

This place has become my spot since I moved to Austin 4 years ago.
The foods are wonderful. Staff are amazing and the trace is great.
I love this place the only problem is finding a parking spot.

I’ve had some fond memories of this place. Was fortunate enough to visit during the moontower comedy festival and got to meet some of my all time favorite comedians at this bar. Very fancy, great wrap around patio especially during nice weather.

We were on our way to see a movie première at the Paramount and only had 45 minutes to feed our bellies. Our first choice was Roaring Fork as it is next door. But the RF was standing room only (and loud I might add) so we ventured upstairs to the quite bar and terrace with a wonderful view of Congress.
The food menu is super limited here but they have a full bar with a nice wine list. I ordered a Domaine St. Michelle brut and the beet salad. Jesse ordered a Live Oak Hefeweizen and the pork belly sliders. My bubbles were dry, acidic to balance out the sugars and crisp. just what I was looking for. It went pretty well with the beet salad which came with plentiful greens, fennel and a little bit of chevre cheese. I would have liked more beets and less greens but it was good. The pork belly sliders were heavenly! The trio of sliders had a perfectly cooked piece of pork belly, a decadent pan fried quail egg, tiny slices of Serrano, topped with crispy onion strings in a soft bun smeared with coriander mayo. The flavor composition was flawless. The sliders were steep at $ 16 but they were well portioned and delicious.
Almost every plate coming out of the kitchen was an Antonelli’s cheese plate which looked absolutely gorgeous. We were also curious about the truffled mac n cheese.
Currently Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace does not have a happy hour but perhaps that is why it is quieter making it easier to find a seat.

2^nd visit here. This time we splurged and stayed at the Stephen F. Austin hotel. So we didn’t have a long way to stumble back to our room.
I didn’t even know this place had food…
The drinks have always been amazing. The top shelf liquor selection is great. They have a good selection of cigars.
The patio area is great, even in the winter (as they have heaters). This is probably the best part. Sitting on the patio looking down the street at the capital.

I visited this bar before a show at the nearby Paramount Theater. We were hoping to have a drink at the Roaring Fork bar but it was packed, so we made our way to the Stephen F Austin bar at the Intercontinental hotel.
My poor rating is entirely based on the food and food service. The waitress was friendly enough and the atmosphere was pleasant. However, it took a long time to get our food, and when it arrived it was very underwhelming (cold, and bland).
Between the three of us, we ordered the burger (under-​cooked, served without any typical cheeseburger toppings like tomato, lettuce, onion; fries were cold and soggy), the arugula salad (99% arugula, a small, messy splash of dressing, almost nothing else save for a piece of prosciutto), the beet salad (again, 99% greens, a drop of dressing, perhaps 4 or 5 very small cubes of beet), and the pork belly sliders (cold, dry).
We are very easy-​going diners. It doesn’t take much to satisfy us. When not one person finds the food appetizing, it means it’s pretty bad. Combine the poor food with its extremely high price ($ 19 for a burger and fries!) and you get the poor rating. I understand that it’s a hotel bar, and prices are inflated. However, the quality of the food was so poor that I cannot overlook the extremely high prices.
There are many good ratings on here for the Stephen F Austin, so perhaps we just happened to have the rookie in the kitchen. However, given our experience, I will not be returning and cannot recommend it to anybody.

We usually stop by this bar every time we stay downtown. The terrace is a great location to watch special events on Congress and this time it was the ROT Rally parade. Great service and outstanding appetizers.

Wow. Reading the bad reviews below made me wonder if they were fake reviews or disgruntled employees. We had a great time!
The service was extremely attentive, even with a wedding in the room next door AND Judy Maggio’s going-​away party. We had a couple of servers and we didn’t want for a single thing.
Drinks were a little pricey, but the offer some different cocktails that are good. Plus, most of the drinks downtown are expensive! Been to the 2^nd St. District lately?
We had the Kobe beef burger (good) and the grilled cheese & apple sandwich with spicy Poblano soup (excellent). We told them we were in a hurry to get to a show at the Paramount so they advised us which dinner choices might take a long time.
In no way did we have the bad food or bad service listed below! We would definitely go back, even if it was too hot to sit on the patio. (It’s June in Texas, people!)
Best part? If you valet and go to any of the restaurants or bars there, the charge drops from $ 21 (ouch!) to $ 7 if they sign it. Great deal!
We will definitely be going back upstairs to Stephen F’s.

Nice little hotel bar/​restaurant, very casual, nice terrace when the weather is nice. The service is very friendly, and the atmosphere relaxed.
We tried the pork belly sliders with quail egg which were absolutely delicious. Loved these.
I had the espresso-​rubbed shoulder tender of beef with asparagus and asparagus polenta. The asparagus was a mixed bag, some of the spears were overcooked, others weren’t. The polenta had some surprise peppers in it in addition to the asparagus, and had a very nice char on it. The meat was good, although I’m not a huge fan of brown gravies, so scraped most of that off.
My companion had the kobe beef burger, and had no complaints. The sweet potato fries were very tasty.
For dessert we tried the off-​menu lava cake, and we both found it overwhelmingly sweet. The Amy’s ice cream on top was very nice.
Overall we had a nice time, nice experience, good food.

Highly disappointed.
After reading the following review:
‘The Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace is consistently voted the Best Bar in downtown Austin, with a balcony that overlooks Congress Avenue and a gorgeous view of the Texas State Capitol,’ –we were excited to try it out!
Alas, that review is nothing short of comical…
The drinks were good; service was ok; but the food was Awful — from appetizer to dessert.
And what about the gorgeous view of the Capital? Only if you don’t mind trees, neon signs, street lights and high wires in your view…
Will not be returning here.

Not a bad little spot to grab a drink if you’re in the area. Two stars because they were playing Shark week and a and a star for the burger. The pork dish was way undercooked, i mean red. No bueno if you’re cooking a tenderloin and its bloody. The ambience is pretty neutral and seems like a place for hotel guests. The drinks were weak. A little pricy but i’m sure i’ll be back someday.

Atmosphere has changed and the soul of this once wonderful bar has as well. Drinks are off. And a VIP room??? Sorry no thanks. I feel like I don’t know this place anymore.

Sometimes you want to get away from the teenagers and relax in a classy atmosphere with other adults who enjoy finer spirits and food. This is your place.
Had a lovely evening on the balcony overlooking Congress with a glass of wine, a beautiful striped beet salad w/​fennel pollen vinaigrette and great service. The indoor lounge is old school hotel lounge where your average good ol’ boy would relish in a scotch. Nice oasis in the middle of downtown; classy but classic, not trendy. Me like!

This is my favorite place for a drink on a Friday afternoon after work. Go upstairs to the second floor and head out to the terrace. Enjoy the view of the Capitol and Congress avenue.
This bar is great for people watching and enjoying a warm evening in Texas.

Stopped in for a quick pre-​nap drink and they are doing some fairly serious craft cocktails, albeit relocated downstairs while they do renovations on their second story terrace. Perfectly balanced and creative. Putting some real thought into their drinks. Would love to try some food here next time.

It’s a bar on a Terrace. Service was great, appetizers were good, conversations were crazy. Small gatherings that include Ryan S, Kelly s, myself, mihir and a couple other elites shouldn’t be taken lightly. We work hard and Unilocal harder. Had a great time there, but i don’t see myself going there with less than 5 people and sitting anywhere but on the northwest corner of the terrace.

This place was absolutely my favorite my entire trip! I came in for a small bite after arriving and got the Mexican Mule and Bison sliders. Bison sliders were delicious and just perfect but really the Mexican Mule became a theme for the next couple of days. Everyone loved them, they were so delicious, and so perfect for a hot day. Later, when we had a cocktail reception there, the staff was great and the truffle mac and cheese was to die for. The balcony is great to sit on and look out on the streets — and perfect at night. Thomas (I believe that was his name) remembered me from our first meeting and even made follow up conversation which I much appreciated. The last night I tried a glass of grenache and it was so yummy and reasonable priced. I wish I had this place in my own neighborhood! THANK YOU!

It doesn’t get better then scotch, cigar and a cool day on SFA hotel bar on the balcony.
It’s a fun spot to yell at the occupiers protesting below on the streets. Yes, I said that.

Five of my favorite words when out and about in Austin will always be when a friend asks «Cocktails at the Stephen F.?» (Or is that 4 ½ words?) Named for Stephen Fuller Austin, the state’s iron-​willed founder, its upscale charm not only attracts the bar patron in me, but also holds sentimental value.
It all began with my friend Rhiannon, a friend I know from church. Blogger and socialite, with a mind blowing sense of fashion, Rhiannon is the type of woman who owns antique diamond tiaras and applauds my ability to conquer life’s challenges utilizing only dirty martinis and sass. We also found common ground with appreciating the finer things in life. I like to think we can go toe to toe with turns of phrase, biting criticisms of others, and cultivating a sense of self-​awareness that is unapologetic about being fabulous. I’m godfather to her orange Hermès Birkin bag, and we also love the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Stephen F. appeared to be her go-​to spot for any pre– or post-​event around town. It was over cocktails at the Stephen F Bar & Terrace that I met her married friends who I was told own most of the restaurants on the East side. I had just joined the three of them for an impromptu Lyle Lovett concert at The Paramount. It was a lovely evening and over vodka tonics (made with a decent pour, as I recall), we talked East side food while Rhiannon gifted me vials of extremely rare cologne found only in a single tiny perfume boutique in London. I figure it’s the stuff I’ll wear on my wedding day. That, and the vintage Gucci tie from their first ever men’s collection that she found for me. I have truly amazing friends.
While the Driskill Bar remains my personal favorite, the Stephen F. has one huge asset the Driskill does not: the terrace. So when it was time for pre-​dinner cocktail hour, Jen and Miss Sugarbaker requested the Stephen F. as our spot.
The woman tending bar inside was extremely welcoming and handed us the drink specials. We ordered «Lady Birds» (Grey Goose la poire, fresh lemon, and St. Germain elderflower liqueur). They were strong, crisp, and refreshing. I switched to the old standby vodka tonic afterwards, but only because one Lady Bird is sufficient. We also ordered the Mussels from Brussels (mussels, sea bean, french fries, hollandaise sauce), although at the time I was unaware that is what they were called. Huh. Now I’m wondering whatever happened to Jean-​Claude Van Damme. Is that guy even still alive?
The mussels were delicious and meaty, and swimming in garlic butter sauce. The fries were crisp and I enjoyed the flavorful hollandaise that accompanied them.
Just a note: It can get a little windy up on the terrace, but it’s not a dealbreaker. The view of Congress and the Capitol is well worth sitting a spell al fresco.
Unbeknownst to me, Miss Sugarbaker had invited a gentleman-​friend of his to join us for the evening. We’ll call him Tyler. I knew nothing about him except that he’d been mad at Miss Sugarbaker the last time they had hung out for haranguing him that Tyler did not know who the Vice President was. Somehow I feel ragging on him for that was justified. Tyler arrived and I let Jen ask most of the personal questions. He was new to Austin, having come from Miami. My earnest follow up question asked if he knew Gloria Estefan or Pitbull. He replied in the negative. In the interest of being honest, I responded that I was very disappointed in him.
The one issue I have about this bar is that the nearest restroom is all the way across the mezzanine. So during the evening, every time we had to use the facilities, we had to meander through an Indian wedding that was taking place at the very same time right outside the bar. At least I assumed it was an Indian wedding, what with all the saris and samosas swirling around me. Incidentally, this was not the first time Jen and I have crashed an Indian wedding, except the last time it was in The Woodlands, and we slammed several tequila shots. Anyways, each time I made my way to the restroom, I had these increasingly horrible visions of me tripping and falling into their wedding cake just sitting there right out in the open. I couldn’t decide which was worse: ruining the bride’s big day, or getting cake all over my Jil Sander sweater.
What can I say? Another fabulous cocktail hour, as usual. Cheers, Stephen F.
4 Stars.

My husband and I recently checked this place after purchasing their coupon listed on LivingSocial a couple of weeks back. The place had the typical hotel bar feel — full of older guys in suits drinking their beers after work. Regardless of my initial impression (not the hippest place in town!), my husband and I were able to cozy up in a corner and enjoy our evening together.
We ordered the mac ‘n’ cheese and crab cakes and both were delicious! The other appetizers didn’t look as appealing on the menu (chips and salsa, mini burgers, etc.) so we just stuck with the two I mentioned. Our martinis «tasted» great but they weren’t strong at all. After two martinis I felt completely sober, so it was definitely a bummer that they cost $ 13 each and could for all intensive purposes be a juice cocktail.
Be prepared to spend a lot for a little. After just a few appetizers and 3 drinks, our bill came to $ 75! Need I say more? I’m giving this place 4 stars overall because our food was great (and yeah, our drinks did taste good haha) and the service was very accommodating but I probably won’t be going back because of the cost. Hey, maybe when I win the lotto…